EEEE Round Up: Everything Else Except the Edgewater

That title sounds like it should be sung to the tune from "All Along the Watchtower" . . . but yes, there are other things going on around town . . .

WORTH READING
Here's another take on why the city has a budget problem. Tho a few of us tried to address this a few times, it is something the council never seriously considers. Sanborn was the only one hammering on the Capital Budget this year, but if others had tried to cut roads, especially ones in his district, he would have voted for them.

Barry Orton, on Soglin's blog, does a good job summarizing where we are at with the Cable Competition Act . . . more broken promises. This is what led to the the defunding of WYOU (donate now!) and an average 21% rise in cable rates in two years.

Check out the drop in our air quality! Full Dane County Environmental Health Card Report Card here.

I appreciated this call to have the County Board members to stand up to the sheriff's department . . . and the understanding that it could have political implications if they were to do so.

ART GALLERY OPENING

The Jackie Macaulay Gallery is hosting an artist reception for Desereé Nehrkorn

Friday, December 4, 2009 from 5:00 to 9:00 pm.

Wine and hor'devours to be served.

Located in the Social Justice Center,
1202 Williamson Street, Madison, WI

WISCONSIN ONCE AGAIN SHOWING IT IS PROGRESSIVE
From the Democracy campaign:

Impartial Justice bill signed into law
The Impartial Justice bill is officially the Impartial Justice law. Governor Jim Doyle signed the bill this morning. The governor's signing statement is here.

With today's action, Wisconsin becomes the first and only state to enact public financing legislation this year and joins North Carolina and New Mexico as the only states to ever create public financing systems for judicial elections.

The Democracy Campaign thanks Governor Doyle and all the legislators who acted to make this long-sought reform a reality. WDC also thanks the many other groups that worked for the bill's passage, most especially Common Cause in Wisconsin and the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin. And we owe a great debt of gratitude to the countless citizens who took the time to contact their representatives and the governor to urge them to take this important step toward cleaning up state Supreme Court elections.

This historic breakthrough for campaign finance reform was a decade in the making, as the Impartial Justice bill was first proposed in 1999. It is the most significant campaign reform in Wisconsin since 1977.

WATER RATES GOING UP!!!
According to the letter from the PSC,

Our proposed charge for public fire protection provides an increase of approximately 27 percent compared to a 21 percent increase in general service rates.

There is a public hearing next Tuesday. You can comment here.

DID YOU KNOW . . .
County board elections are coming up? People can start filing for that and school board starting yesterday. Seems really, really, really quiet this year . . . so far, Melissa Sargeant is running for a seat being vacated by Dorothy Wheeler and there's some action on campus . . . but I haven't heard a whole lot more, but I haven't been paying a whole lot of attention either and there is a virtual media blackout at the county and school board levels, making it hard to find news . . . but, at the county level, if you don't like what happened to human services this year, or are concerned about the sheriff's office and the immigration issues, or are passionate about land use (yes, there are some of you out there!) or [insert issue here], you should consider running! It's not as much work as the city council and there are important issues that need to be addressed! School Board info here. County Board info here. Of course, if you are interested, you might want to talk to some folks . . . feel free to call or email me or find someone who you respect or agree with! Candidates needed!

SMALL BUSINESS BUS PASS PROGRAM
Sometimes those crazy Progressive Dane ideas can even be supported by Jenifer Alexander of the Chamber of Commerce . . . for more info to get involved in the program, see here.

STALLED HOTEL
Hmmm, not returning phone calls . . . hard to buy the initial excuses about product not being available given the news of liens being filed against the property.

AIDS QUILT IN MADISON TODAY AND TOMORROW"

Overture Center Main Lobby
201 State Street, Madison, Wisconsin

Wednesday, December 2, 2009
11:00 am - 10:00 pm

Thursday, December 3, 2009
10:00 am - 10:00 pm

The AIDS Memorial Quilt is an expanding memorial to the lives of people lost to HIV/AIDS, created by those who loved them. It is the largest community art project in the world, totaling more than 45,500 individual panels that commemorate more than 91,000 people.

View 21 12'x12' blocks of the captivating quilt in person, brought to Madison in recognition of World AIDS Day (December 1) by the UW Health HIV/AIDS Comprehensive Care Program, with financial support from Becker Law Office, the Wisconsin AIDS/HIV Program and our many generous allies and friends.

JUST A FEW DAYS LEFT . . .
Do some shopping, help the community, get a good deal!

Help Promote Sustainability Statewide and these Community Causes: Dane County TimeBank, WYOU Community Access TV, Community Groundworks at Troy Gardens

PEACE RALLY TODAY
Wednesday, December 2 – March of the Dead & Placing Demands on Sen. Kohls Office Door & Rep. Baldwin’s Office Door.

11:00 AM – Gather at Lisa Link Peace Park, State St., Mad., WI and march to Veterans Park at corner of State St. and the Capitol Square.

We will have a somber March of the Dead to the Capitol Square where we will remember and mourn the dead by reading their stories. Will arrive at the Square at NOON. We will deliver our demands to Senator Kohl’s office at approximately 12:30 to 12:45 and to Congresswoman Baldwin’s office at 1:30 or 1:45 PM, calling on our legislators to refuse to fund the escalation for the wars.

MADISON LOBBIES
Check out what the City of Madison is paying money to lobby on. The question that always bothered me is . . . who decides what we lobby on? In the last few years there has been a minimal effort to involve the council in the decisions, but it mostly is just a report on what has already happened and a request to give input once a year.

YOUR ALDER SAID WHAT?
As a side note to the above issue, check this out, the audio of the meeting is available. It's the last link at the bottom of the links here. It would be sooooooo totally cool if that was made available for every committee meeting. Tho, that would probably scare the bejesus out most elected officials . . . but it also might make them think a little more about what they say. I wonder why this audio is available and if they plan to continue doing it?

CASEY JONES, YOU BETTER WATCH YOUR SPEED
Ticketing for speeding is once again a priority, kinda. There used to be two traffic enforcement teams called TEST teams. I forget when and how it went away, but I remember council members being concerned at the time and we were told to mind our own business . . . I remember thinking that the cops at the time just didn't want to give tickets, they wanted to work on "real crime" because it was more exciting. Glad to see that preventative safety is back on their minds . . . but I'm also bracing myself for that ticket and when I get it, I won't have any good excuses besides I just have a lead foot! But then again, the enforcement is still probably so light, I might never even notice.

WTF?
This is an account of a beating on Halloween weekend, which I don't think we ever heard about:

Because of his injuries, which medical records show also include bulging discs, Miller was unable to complete the fall semester at UW-Parkside, and it is uncertain if he will be able to start a theater job in New York City scheduled to begin in January, he said.

Miller said he told a paramedic, whom he thought was a police officer, that he had just been beaten and could not get up. He said the paramedic told him to get up or he would be taken to detox then pulled him up and took him back to the house of the friend with whom he had been arguing.

Miller said the paramedic asked if he needed an ambulance, and he replied that he had no health insurance. The paramedic then questioned whether he was refusing medical treatment, but Miller did not reply, Miller said.

Amesqua said the paramedic, Gary Schreiber, denied that Miller told him he had been beaten. Miller also had no apparent injuries, she said.

Schreiber told a police detective that Miller refused medical treatment, Amesqua said.

A Fire Department report indicates paramedics responded to "a man sleeping in a alley. We were able to get him up and inside his house."

I'm freaking speechless.
Read more!

Let the Music Play

Seriously, Verveer is right. Let the music play or all you have is drinking and lots of expensive cops.

More on this topic at the Critical Badger. Which reminds me . . . if you get a second, check out the "focus group" at the Critical Badger. Creative. And kind of sad. Read more!

Halloween: By the numbers

Congratulations! This year, the State St. Halloween celebration seems to have ended successfully! "Riots" at 1:43 am didn't need to end in tear gas, and for that we owe the police department a great big "thank you!" And thanks to all the staff who spent their weekend working on this event. Now, let's review some facts . . . .

Friday 2006: 10,000 people, 200 cops, 68 arrests

• 1 cop per 50 people
• 3 cops per arrest
• 1 arrest per 147 attendees
• How much $ from fines for the City of Madison?

Saturday 2006: 35,000 people, 250 cops, 145 arrest

• 1 cop per 140 people
• 1.72 cops per arrest
• 1 arrest per 241 attendees
• How much $ from fines for the City of Madison?

- 34,300 entry tickets distributed, of which 2,300 were complimentary for people who live or work on the street

• $160,000 for the City of Madison to cover the following costs:

• Police Department
• Equipment Rental $22,800 ($16,500 Lights, $6,300 Sound system)
• Facility Rental $18,968 ($15,000 University Inn, $3,968 Lowell Hall)
• Work Supplies $11,500 (Camera installation, lights, earpieces, OC Gas, etc.)
• Office Equipment $2,500

• Engineering Division
• General Equipment Supplies: $1,500 (Rental of construction fencing)
• Equipment Rental: $1,500 (Purchase of construction barrels)

• Parks Division
• Portable Toilets: $2,200 (Rental of 20 @ $110/unit $2,200)
• Equipment Rental: $1,400 (Rental of ticketing trailers)
• Security Services: $3,342
• Printing $10,000 ($6,000 info. banners, etc.; $4,000 purchase and printing of tickets)
• Armored Car Charges: $840
• Credit Card fees: $2,500


• Crowd Control Equipment $600 (hand stamps and pads)


• Hourly Wages: $4,400 (Additional temporary staffing for ticket sales)
• Benefits: $502 (For temporary staffing for ticket sales @ 11.4% of wages)
• TE Other Inter-Departmental $1,140 (Electrical hook-up for ticketing trailer(s)

• Plus, police overtime and staff planning costs. Last year, police staffing costs were:
• Overtime and Benefits: $126,492.43
• Premium Pay: $2,786.07
• Straight Time and Benefits: $188,448.82
• Total: $317,727.32

• 70,000 less attendees than last year
• How much less money for the local economy?

Total 2006: 45,000 people, 450 cops over 2 days, 230 (I realize that doesn't add up, but that's what the police are reporting) arrests

• 1 cop per 100 people
• 2 cops per arrest
• 1 arrest per 195 attendees
• How much $ from fines for the City of Madison?

Now, lets compare this to 2005 (WSJ or Cap Times)

Friday 2005: 25,000 people, 400 officers, 197 arrests

• 1 cop per 62 people
• 2 cops per arrest
• 11 arrest per 126 attendees

Saturday 2005: 100,000 people, 400 officers, 252 arrests

• 1 cop per 250 people
• 4.58 cops per arrest
• 1 arrest per 396 attendees

Total 2005: 125,000 people, 800 officers, 449 arrests (This year they are claiming 334 arrests last year, but that wasn't what was reported at the time.)

• 1 cop per 156 people
• 1.78 cops per arrest
• 1 arrest per 278 attendees

So, how should we measure success this year?

Should it be by the standards that Mayor Cieslewicz sets out:

Mayor Dave Cieslewicz set three goals for this year's celebration, and all three appear to have been met, he said in a statement early Sunday. There was no pepper spray, there was less over-consumption and the city made some money - about $150,000 through the estimated 32,000 tickets sold.

Or should it be by having less cops and less arrests per people in the crowd?

2006: Attendees were more likely to see a cop (1 cop per 100 people) as opposed to 2005 (1 cop per 156 people)

2006: Attendees were more likely to get arrested (1 arrest per 195 attendees) as opposed to 2005 (1 arrest per 278 attendees)

Perhaps its just a result of having more cops which means more arrests. Or maybe this year's event was had more trouble makers, but I suspect the former.

And perhaps, we should re-examine if those goals laid out by the Mayor were actually met:

1. Yes, there was no pepperspray this year, that was a good thing. However, it appears that there were still the same "riots" and chants of "Ole, Ole" at 1:43, as in previous years.
2. I'm not sure how they are measuring "less over-consumption" but according to Mike Hanson at 1:19 last night detox was filled.
3. And yes, while we made $160,000 (32,000 x $5, tho they're only reporting $150,000) on ticket sales, we likely made less money on arrests, so are less likely to have a positive fiscal bottome line. (Which, for the record, I count less numbers of arrests as a good thing, but am disturbed by the higher number of arrests per people in attendance.)

Anyways, there's alot that doesn't add up. And while I'm glad that there was no pepperspray this year, we still have significant problems before us . . . because the City of Madison can't continue to sponsor this event and there isn't enough money to be made for someone else to do it unless the City heavily subsidizes it or we use significantly less police officers.

Read more!

Game Halloween: 68 to 0

That's right, in this game the "excited" police are at 68, civil liberties at Zero.

I wonder how that compares to downtown arrests on a typical weekend?

One thing for sure the 200 cops in the State St. area were unnecessary on Friday night. By most accounts on Kristian's live-blog of last night and from folks I talked to who were there, the police nearly outnumbered the bar-going crowd for much of the evening.

I'm surprised there isn't a taxpayer revolt due to the City's ridiculous planning for this event. For tonight, only 15,000 tickets have been sold, and yet there are plans for 250 police plus private security. It appears these silly plans have driven the partiers into the downtown neighborhoods for houseparties - and that was definitely true on my block last night.

And the police continue with their silly statements . . .
Wray said he was optimistic that tonight's celebration, with the public's cooperation, would be a "good balance of safety and fun."

Um . . .was Friday night really a good balance? Or overkill?

p.s. 200 cops for 10,000 people is 1 cop per 50 people.
Read more!

A reason to be afraid this Halloween weekend?

Reading the WSJ is always a scary experience, but this morning, it was particularly scary . . .

Mostly, I was surprised by this statement about the Halloween weekend coming from the Public Information Officer for the City of Madison:

"We're excited about it," Madison police spokesman Mike Hanson said Thursday. "This is something we have planned for so many months, and now it's time to play ball."

Play ball? Is this a game? Are they trying to defeat the other team? I wonder how hard they're willing to play and if they'll try to win at all costs?

Sorry, but that's a really crappy way to describe the police department attitude going into this controversial weekend. Perhaps is was a simple mistake . . . but I'm afraid it reveals a more disturbing truth . . . Read more!

I didn't see that in the Halloween Budget!

Plasma screen tvs for the police department?

Where was that in the budget?

Watching channel 3 this morning I learned that the police department has a newly remodeled and refurbished command center for Halloween . . . did we approve that? Plasma screen tvs? Tell me it isn't so. Read more!

Halloween

So, we've voted on the Mayor's plans for Halloween. Austin King and I voted against the final piece last night with the rest of the Council voting in favor (Sanborn, Thomas and Cnare absent).

I thought I'd take some time to explain my vote (before others to it for me).


Given that we haven't had serious injuries or property damage in recent years and we are moving in a positive way away from the troubles we had been having, I don't think we need to take such drastic measures. And by drastic measures, I mean confining people's civil liberties. i.e. blocking off access to a public street. I don't believe someone should have to pay $5 to get on to State St. to go get a gyro. I was even more appalled when city staff suggested that if you had a ticket to go to the an event at the Overture the security people could use their discretion and ask you not to pay. Yet, if you were on your way home from the hockey game you would need to walk several blocks out of your way to cross State St. (That's a whole other topic about why people who go to the Overture Center could get privileges that people who live downtown wouldn't have.) This is still America, these are still our public streets and we shouldn't be required to pay $5 to use them. I believe our jobs on the council are to balance the competing interests and here, we have an improving situation that doesn't need to impose on the civil liberties of the citzens of Madison. In this case, I don't believe the case has been made that imposing on people's civil liberties is necessary and I don't find it appropriate.

Last night, I didn't trot out the quotes of our forefathers, but they are worthy of mentioning here:

They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. ~Benjamin Franklin, Historical Review of Pennsylvania, 1759

I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations. ~James Madison, speech, Virginia Convention, 1788

Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves. ~Abraham Lincoln

I'm proud of my vote last night in defending our civil liberties, cuz when its all said in done . . .

Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom, must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it. ~Thomas Paine

I wish everyone the best of luck on Halloween weekend. I hope this plan works. I have severe reservations because whenever you start putting up roadblocks and pushing people around, they tend to push back. A fence represents a challange to authority to rip it down. Clearing the street at bartime provides the opportunity for resistance. Letting the party die down on its own accord and not providing interest in hanging out to see when the police will start pepperspraying would be a much better plan. It takes two to tango . . . and we're creating part of the problem. I hope by providing private security as opposed to police officers some of this anti-authority sentiment will be missing from the event and that the private security will use a soft touch and not be drunk with power. And most of all, I hope I am wrong that this year will end the same way as the last few.


p.s. Sorry I was out of the blogosphere for a few weeks, I had a recent death in my family, but I should be back now after I've had a chance to catch up on a few things. Read more!